


Tis the Season

by TwinEnigma



Category: Batman Beyond
Genre: Gen, Hilarity Ensues, Slice of Life, Terry is terrible at hiding the Batsuit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3983284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinEnigma/pseuds/TwinEnigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary finds something mighty concerning when she cleans Terry's room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tis the Season

Terry McGinnis knew the look currently on his mother's face well. It was somewhere between disappointment and annoyance that hinted at the very distinct possibility that he was about to be grounded and given a strict curfew. Not that he'd done anything to deserve it recently – he'd gotten his grades back up in summer school, did all his chores, and hadn't left his brother hanging in terms of babysitting for him in weeks (to be fair, Mr. Wayne didn't appreciate having to find a way to stealthily monitor Terry on patrol _and_ look after Matt, but he seemed to warm up to the twip after a while and Terry figured that the old man had to sorta be over it by now).

And really, all things in perspective, it was kind of funny that his mother was the only one in the world who could ground the Batman for something as mundane as not doing his English homework.

"Terry, I was cleaning your room today," his mother said. "Care to explain what this was doing under your bed?"

Terry froze in horror as she held up the Batsuit.

"Well?" she asked.

 _Think, Terry, think,_ he told himself mentally. His eyes flicked to the calendar. "It's my Halloween costume."

His mother narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as she ran a thumb experimentally over the material. "Seems a bit well made for a Halloween costume."

"Mom, I _have_ a job," Terry said, tossing in a bit of an eye roll and typical teenage huff of _you are so stupid because you're a grown up_ to sell the concept a bit more. "I saved up for it."

"Terry," she started, her tone sharp.

"Is that a Batman costume?" Matt interrupted. His eyes were riveted on the suit as he practically ran to touch it. "It looks just like the real thing! This kicks!"

Terry watched, detached, as his little brother ran a hand over the red bat. The enchantment and fascination radiating from him were palpable and for a moment, Terry wondered if it was possible to be envious of himself.

"Hey, hey, Terry!" Matt said, turning and looking up at him with wide, eager eyes. "You're taking me Trick-or-Treating, right? Can I be your Robin?"

Terry blinked, startled back to reality, and then slowly smiled. "Sure, twip. I think I even know someone who has a Robin costume you can borrow."

Matt would probably be beside himself with joy if he knew he'd be borrowing the real deal.

"Schway! You're the best!" Matt exclaimed, throwing his arms around Terry's legs in a rare and impromptu hug before racing out of the room, presumably to tell his friends.

Terry wasn't about to lie to himself: that felt pretty awesome.

"Terry," his mother said, sharply. When he turned his head to look at her, she still wore that expression that screamed _you are in deep trouble, young man_.

That awesome feeling instantly plummeted to his feet like a rock.

"I don't think Halloween costumes are supposed to do this," she said, and twisted the belt buckle of the Batsuit, activating the invisibility mode.

Oh, slag it. She was going to ground him forever.


End file.
